Coping Styles and Quality of Life in Patients with Non-insulin-dependent Diabetes Mellitus

The authors examined the relationship between coping style and perceived quality of life in patients with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. Diabetic patients (N=123) and nondiabetic comparison patients (N=124) treated at a Portuguese health center completed the Nottingham Health Profile, a quality-of-life measure. The diabetic patients also completed the Coping Responses Inventory, a measure of coping styles. In both groups, female subjects had poorer quality-of-life ratings than male subjects. Diabetic patients were more likely to regard diabetes and the consequent changes in lifestyle as a threat than as a challenge. A greater proportion of diabetic patients used avoidance coping styles, which overall were related to worse quality of life, than used active confrontation coping styles. Coping style was significantly correlated with several dimensions of quality of life in diabetic patients.